Dear John,
I wrote to you last week to tell you about Claire, a 29-year-old single mum, who found herself at the mercy of the ‘beast’ that is Universal Credit.
Everything was going well for Claire back in 2018. She had succeeded in securing a job with her local council’s childcare services. Within three months, she was offered a promotion.
That is when her three-year nightmare began.
Due to being paid a few days early and because of the rigidity of the monthly assessment period in Universal Credit, Claire was deemed to earn twice the amount she was bringing home. Claire found herself receiving £64 a month of Universal Credit award, instead of the usual £900. For the first time in her life, Claire found herself in her overdraft, in rent arrears and having to resort to a foodbank.
No child should have to worry about their parents’ struggle to make ends meet. A gift from you could ensure we can continue fighting to end child poverty.
It was through our Early Warning System that we heard about Claire from Citizens Advice in Somerset in 2018. Claire was forced to turn down the promotion she had been offered, as any increase in income would make things worse for her Universal Credit. 
That is when we stepped in. As a last resort, after government inaction for years, we took legal action. After three long years, Claire learned in June that she won - a fantastic testament to her perseverance. The government now has to change the legislation, which will help about 85,000 people every year who face the same unjust hardships as Claire and her children due to a flawed system.
Claire’s battle is over, but there are many more people counting on us. We need your donation to continue the fight to end child poverty. Thank you.
Best wishes,
Kelly-Marie Jones
Welfare Rights Adviser
Early Warning System
PS: After three long years, Claire won her case – she’s shared her story with CPAG supporters. Please click here to read Claire’s story. If you have already responded to this appeal, thank you very much for this contribution.
